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Shevalev R, Bischof L, Sapegin A, Bunev A, Olga G, Kantin G, Kalinin S, Hartmann MD. Discovery and characterization of potent spiro-isoxazole-based cereblon ligands with a novel binding mode. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 270:116328. [PMID: 38552426 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2024.116328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
The vast majority of current cereblon (CRBN) ligands is based on the thalidomide scaffold, relying on glutarimide as the core binding moiety. With this architecture, most of these ligands inherit the overall binding mode, interactions with neo-substrates, and thereby potentially also the cytotoxic and teratogenic properties of the parent thalidomide. In this work, by incorporating a spiro-linker to the glutarimide moiety, we have generated a new chemotype that exhibits an unprecedented binding mode for glutarimide-based CRBN ligands. In total, 16 spirocyclic glutarimide derivatives incorporating an isoxazole moiety were synthesized and tested for different criteria. In particular, all ligands showed a favorable lipophilicity, and several were able to outperform the binding affinity of thalidomide as a reference. In addition, all compounds showed favorable cytotoxicity profiles in myeloma cell lines and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The novel binding mode, which we determined in co-crystal structures, provides explanations for these improved properties: The incorporation of the spiro-isoxazole changes both the conformation of the glutarimide moiety within the canonical tri-trp pocket and the orientation of the protruding moiety. In this new orientation it forms additional hydrophobic interactions and is not available for direct interactions with the canonical neo-substrates. We therefore propose this chemotype as an attractive building block for the design of PROTACs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Shevalev
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Luca Bischof
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander Sapegin
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alexander Bunev
- Medicinal Chemistry Center, Togliatti State University, Togliatti, Russia
| | - Grigor'eva Olga
- Medicinal Chemistry Center, Togliatti State University, Togliatti, Russia
| | - Grigory Kantin
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Stanislav Kalinin
- Institute of Chemistry, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Marcus D Hartmann
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology, Tübingen, Germany.
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Almodóvar-Rivera CM, Zhang Z, Li J, Xie H, Zhao Y, Guo L, Mannhardt MG, Tang W. A Modular Chemistry Platform for the Development of a Cereblon E3 Ligase-Based Partial PROTAC Library. Chembiochem 2023; 24:e202300482. [PMID: 37418320 PMCID: PMC10591699 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202300482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) are a promising therapeutic strategy to selectively promote the degradation of protein targets by exploiting the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Among the limited number of E3 ligase ligands discovered for the PROTAC technology, ligands of cereblon (CRBN) E3 ligase, such as pomalidomide, thalidomide, or lenalidomide, are the most frequently used for the development of PROTACs. Our group previously reported that a phenyl group could be tolerated on the C4-position of lenalidomide as the ligand of CRBN to develop PROTACs. Herein, we report a modular chemistry platform for the efficient attachment of various ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted phenyls to the C4-position of the lenalidomide via Suzuki cross-coupling reaction, which allows the systematic investigation of the linker effect for the development of PROTACs against any target. We examined the substrate scope by preparing twelve lenalidomide-derived CRBN E3 ligase ligands with different linkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsi M Almodóvar-Rivera
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Zhen Zhang
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Jingyao Li
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Haibo Xie
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Yu Zhao
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Le Guo
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Marissa G Mannhardt
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Weiping Tang
- Lachman Institute for Pharmaceutical Development, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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